It's a few hours before Barack's speech tonight and I am on a shuttle
to Invesco Stadium. The buzz around town is palpable, as people
anticipate a historic speech by the Democratic nominee. Close to 80,000
people will attend an evening that is going to be shown around the
world and around town it feels like tonight is all anyone is talking
about.
Besides the excitement surrounding the speech, there is also an understanding of the gravity of the moment.
This morning I asked Cornell West what the most memorable moment of the
week has been so far. He said that the tears of Michelle Obama's mother
made him emotional. "There's a lot of struggle in those tears," Dr.
West told me. He's absolutely right. I have had the chance to talk with
many convention attendees who grew up in a time where they thought that
a night like tonight would never take place. Several of those attendees
have gotten emotional when talking to me about what this means for
them. You can see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices.
I had some extra tickets to tonight's event and so at lunch today, I
decided to give one of them to the young lady who was my waitress. She
was about 20 years old, more than a generation removed from the
struggle that Dr. West talked about. But she was overcome with emotion
and was so excited and thankful that she could be a part of history.
The young, blonde, college student has so much in common with the
older, afro-wearing college professor. Michelle Obama's mom and her
generation should be proud of the fruits of their struggles and I hope
they are all crying tears of joy tonight.
Marc Mitchell is an attorney who has managed the financial, business, and legal affairs of several influential entertainment companies. Mitchell is the founder and CEO of Celebrifantasy, an online news portal and celebrity fantasy league, and the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Dominion Media, a film and TV production company. Until recently, he was also the Chief Operating Officer of UrbanDaddy, a leading online lifestyle publication. He is currently a member of the New York Finance Committee for Barack Obama.